Corner finishing means for furniture tops



1949 A. J. E. LARSON El AL 2,486,354

CORNER FINISHING MEANS FOR FURNITURE TOPS Filed Sept. 9, 1947 %@%M% ((6507 71 eys.

Patented Nov. 1, 1949 CORNER FINISHING MEANS FOR FURNITURE TOPS Algot J. E. Larson and Carl L. Elofson, Jamestown, N. Y., assignors to Art Metal Construction Company,

Jamestown, N. Y.

Application September 9, 1947, Serial No. 772,954 1 Claim. (01. 311-107) This invention relates to corner finishing means or constructions for desk or other furniture tops of that type having relatively deep, transversely rounded or convex side or marginal edges joined by rounded or convex corners, and more particularly to metal tops of this type which are made of sheet metal plates having downwardly curved marginal flanges forming the rounded edges of the top, and have a top surface covering of relatively stiff sheet material, such as linoleum, which extends over and covers the rounded flanges or edges of the top.

It is difficult or commercially impracticable to bend or form such top plates or the covering sheet therefor so as to form round convex corners for the top which will conform in curvature or convexity with the adjoining convex edges of the top and form corners of smooth, finished and attractive appearance. It has therefore been customary in producing such metal :tops, to notch or cut out the corners of the metal top plate in order to facilitate the bending of the marginal flanges thereof that form the rounded or convex edges of the top between the corners, and also to similarly notch or cut out the corners of the cover sheet of linoleum to facilitate the bending of the marginal portions thereof between its outout corners to conform to and cover the downwardly curved flanges or convexed straight edge portions of the top. The gaps left in the corners of the top thus made are then covered or concealed by corner caps or finishing pieces which ordinarily have a vertical surface curvature or convexity conforming substantially with the vertical convexity of the adjoining edges of flanges of the top and are also rounded or convex in a horizontal plane to provide the top with horizontally rounded corners. Such corner caps or finishing pieces thus ordinarily have an outer surface curvature which is substantially an octant of a sphere. Usually in such tops, the bottom edges of the top covering sheet, where they would otherwise be exposed between the corner finishing caps, are covered and protected by means of a binding or finishing strip or strips extending along the bottoms of the rounded edges of the top between the corner finishing caps.

Particular objects of this invention are to provide improved corner finishing means for tops of the type mentioned which are of practical and desirable construction; which will provide such tops with convex or rounded corners of attractive and finished appearance; which are of simple and inexpensive but strong and durable construction, and which will facilitate and reduce the labor and expense of providing such tops with corners of desirable and attractive appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification of the preferred embodiment of the invention 2 shown in the accompanying drawings, and the novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claim.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a desk or the like top having a corner finishing construction or means embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation view thereof, on line 33, Fig. 2, as seen when looking at the inside of the corner.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation thereof, on a vertical diagonal plane through the top on line 4 4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view thereof on line 5-5, Fig. 2.

The drawings illustrate only one corner portion of a top, but it will be understood that in a desk or other top of rectangular or other polygonal shape in plan, each corner of the top between adjoining straight or side edges thereof will be substantially of the construction illustrated.

The top, as shown, comprises a top or core plate III of metal or other suitable material, which may be of rectangular or other shape, depending upon the plan form of the top to be produced, and which is cut away or notched at I l at each corner between angularly related adjoining edges of the plate, and the marginal portions of which plate, between the corner cutouts, are bent or curved downwardly to form relatively deep, rounded or convex edge flanges l2 at the straight or side edges of the top. As shown, the lower portion of each of these downturned flanges i2 is bent inwardly to form inwardly extending stiffening or strengthening flanges l3 at the sides or edges of the top. The top plate It is covered by a sheet of linoleum or analogous covering material M which may be cemented or otherwise secured on the top plate, and the sheet forming this top surface covering, like the top plate I0, is notched or cut away at each corner thereof, as indicated at l5, and the marginal portions of the cover sheet between the corner notches are bent to extend downwardly over and cover the downwardly curved flanges E2 of the top plate, preferably terminating at their lower edges approximately at the bottoms of said curved flanges. The bottom edges of the sheet covering, between its corner gaps, are bound and protected by binding strips it which, as shown, are metal angle strips having inwardly extending bottom flanges which may be fastened, as by screws ll, to the inturned bottom flanges l3 of the top plate, and upstanding outer flanges which overlap and bear against the marginal portions of the sheet covering so as to cover, protect and firmly hold the same in place and form a finished appearance for the bottom edge portions of the side edges of the top.

As thus far described, except as hereinafter explained, the desk or other top is of known construction.

represents a corner cap or finishing piece, one of which is employed for covering or concealing each of the corner gaps in the sheet covering 14 of the top and the registering gap, if any,

in the top plate [9. The corner cap as shown, is of concavo-convex form and approximately the shape of an octant of a sphere, and extends over or covers the corner gap in the sheet covering, preferably overlapping the edge portions of the covering sheet that define the corner gap, and also at its bottom portion overlapping the end portions of the outer flanges of the binding strips 16 at the adjoining edges of the top. The side edges of the corner cap are preferably bevelled or chamfered to thin edges where they meet the surface of the sheet covering so as not to form abrupt shoulders projecting out from the surface of the covering at these edges, and the corner cap is preferably formed with a narrow, shallow groove 2| in its outer surface, parallel with its curved bottom edge and at a distance above the same approximately equal to the height of the upstanding outer flanges of the adjoining binding strips 16, so that this groove produces, in effect,

a line or mark on the surface of the corner cap joining the upper edges of the outer flanges of the adjoining binding strips. The portions of the outer convex surface of the corner cap above and below said horizontal groove 21 are preferably flush with each other substantially throughout their extent, but the side edge portions 22 of the cap may be deflected inwardly somewhat above the level of the groove 2| or top edges of the outer flanges of the binding strips It to cause close contact of the edges of the corner cap with the underlying portions of the surface of the sheet covering it above the binding strips.

Each corner finishing cap or piece 20 is secured in place on the top over and concealing the underlying corner gap in the top covering as follows:

At each corner of the top the inturned flanges l3 at the adjoining sides of the top are connected and the top strengthened and braced by a horizontal gusset or corner plate 25 having projecting end portions 26 which are disposed at right angles to each other and are rigidly secured, as by welding or otherwise, on the adjoining inturned top flanges l3. This gusset plate provides an attaching or anchoring element to which the corner cap is fastened. For this pur- 1 pose, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the gusset plate has at its inner edge, between its end securing portions 26, an upstanding attachin arm or part 21 which, as shown, first inclines upwardly and outwardly and then upwardly and inwardly at its upper end portion 28. A fastening screw 39 for the corner cap 20 is inserted through a hole in the upper portion 28 of the attaching arm and screwed into a threaded hole 29 in a boss or part 3| which may be cast or otherwise provided on the concaved interior of the corner cap, and a second fastening screw 32 is preferably inserted through a hole in the outer central portion of the gusset plate and screwed into a threaded hole in the bottom portion of said part 3| on the corner cap which projects inwardly over the gusset plate 25. The holes in the gusset plate and arm 21 for the passage of the screws 3-2 and 30 may be of larger diameter than the threaded shanks of the screws to enable possible necessary adjustment of the corner cap to properly locate it in its intended position on the corner of the top over the gap in the top covering and with the sides of the cap over the end portions of the flanges of the adjoining binding strips l6. By tightening the screws, the corner cap is drawn downwardly and inwardly into tight engagement with the underlying surface portions of the top covering and the end portions of the binding strips.

The corner construction or formation herein disclosed is desirable and practical and provides a corner which is of attractive finished design or appearance for desk or other furniture tops having deep, vertically rounded or convex marginal edges. It is simple and can be produced at a minimum cost and expenditure of time and labor and, nevertheless it has the advantage that the binding strips for the top covering material need not be" so precisely fitted with relation to the intervening corner cap in order to secure the required finished appearance, because the side edges of the cap overlap or cover the adjacent end portions of the adjoining bindin strips, so that there is some leeway in properly fitting the parts together, and this greatly expedites their assembly.

We claim:

In a top for desks and the like having a top plate with depending convex marginal flanges adjoining a corner of the top and disposed at an angle to each other, and flanges extending inwardly from the bottoms of said convex flanges, a sheet surface covering on said top plate having curved marginal portions covering said convex flanges, and said top plate and sheet covering having corner gaps between said convex flanges, the improved construction comprising a gusset plate crossing said corner gap of the top plate and secured to and connecting said inwardly extending bottom flanges, and a horizontally and vertically concave-convexed corner cap concealing said corner gaps and having side edge portions overlying said sheet covering and having threaded holes on the inner side thereof, one of said holes being in the lower part of said cap and extending downwardly and the other hole being arranged in an intermediate part of said cap and extending upwardly and outwardly with reference to said top, said gusset plate having at its intermediate portion an upstanding attaching arm of substantially V-form with an upwardly and inwardly inclined upper portion and fastening screws for said corner cap one extending through a hole in said attaching arm and extending into said other threaded hole of said cap and another screw passing through a hole in the gusset plate and passing through said first mentioned threaded hole in said cap.

ALGOT J. E. LARSON. CARL L. ELOFSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Clark Nov. 18, 1941 

